Into The Valley…
Unlike the lefty groups who jumped on the band wagon of the miners struggle we decided to continue our support after the strike was over. Our actual help is pretty minimal (we have no illusions about this) and based on personal links with militant miners in Oakdale colliery (S. Wales). At the present time we send money for sacked miners/prisoners and distribute some literature (including STUFF IT) informally.
Since the end of the strike many left papers have been spouting on about their links with the “MINERS”. What are these fabled “links” and are they serving any practical use (other than boosting fake optimism)? We found ourselves included talking about solidarity to other groups without really explaining what we were doing (ie. not very much). It’s very easy to pretend that something significant is happening, just to give you, your group or your party (yuk) an ego boost.
A few weeks ago six of us who were involved with supporting the picket at Oldbury Nuclear Power Station visited Oakdale Village for a weekend. The main event was a social evening organised by the “Miners’ Wives” (Wimmins) support group at the local Working Men’s Club. The first part of the evening was really great, lots of chat with friends that we had met on the picket line. The alcohol flowed freely and we swopped stories of police violence, media liars and the possible future of the struggle. The culture-shock when we refused the meat sandwiches led onto a discussion about veganism and we managed to explain why we weren’t dying of malnutrition. This was quite amazing, as before the strike we would have been run outta town for being deviants….
Unfortunately we did leave for a couple of reasons…. We wouldn’t stand for the Welsh National Anthem, unlike the lefties who conveniently forgot that the “Working Class” has no country. Our rejection of nationalistic shit didn’t go down too well to say the least. As the evening wore on the lads became blads. Soon the sexist jokes were flying around and it became obvious that we were going to be in for a long night of the same old sexist shit. The wives were sent home to look after the kids and the lads were looking for a good night out, whooooooa!
WELL FUCK THIS!
Even though it was shit at the end of the night, it was far better than before the strike we’re sure. The only way things are gonna change is by showing solidarity with all oppressed groups regardless of their prejudices. This doesn’t mean compromising your own beliefs or pretending that you have influence like the lefty newspapers/parties but real support and interaction.
We as a group will continue supporting the miners struggle but not blindly. In the next few weeks we have invited several miners to Bristol to see our liberated lifestyles (ho! ho!).
A BRISTOL MINERS SUPPORT GROUP.
From Stuff It : The Theoretical Journal Of A Bristol Anarchist Group, no.5 [1986]